Aircraft-based platforms are ideally suited for time sensitive emergency, as well as routine, sensing and aerial photographic or other electronic based response activities which as a result of mission performance criteria, require precise location of various types of benign and hostile targets. The nature of the varied mission requirements dictate the type of response which must be coupled to the detection and targeting capabilities of the sensor system. Typically, sophisticated airborne sensor and photographic systems like those commonly used in military or civilian fixed and rotary wing airplanes mandate the modification of the aircraft airframes to accommodate unique systems elements, such as optics, and electronic antenna arrays. These types of systems are commonly used to undertake aerial cartography, bathymetric surveying, geological surveying, search and rescue, police surveillance, communications jamming, military intelligence, mine detection, (terrestrial and marine), missile detection, toxic spill pollution detection and other types of aerial remote sensing and photography.
As the development of sensor systems fast outpaces the airframes which are currently modified to accommodate them, a means to incorporate the rapidly changing varieties of optical and antenna configurations is essential if front-line civilian, or military sensing capability is to keep pace with the latest sensor technology available. Although specialized companies like Lockheed-Martin Aeronautical Systems of Marietta, Ga., USA, have developed replaceable wing fuel sensor pods called "Samson pods" for C-130 aircraft which are capable of housing a wide array of electronic sensing systems, the "Samson pod" still takes several hours to mount or dismount. Further, the "Samson pod" does not lend itself to rapid sensor modification or photographic film replacement while in flight or on the ground. Neither do such semi-dedicated systems benefit from direct hardwiring to the aircraft operator and usually depend on infra-red telemetry which can be adversely affected by cloud, rain, snow or other airborne moisture between the sensing pod and the portable window mounted antenna designed to receive said telemetry.
Other shortcomings of current sensing, targeting and communications exist, including the necessary observation systems to facilitate human observation and control. For example, current observation systems like those manufactured for the Canadian Armed Forces by CAE Aviation of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, suffer from poor ergonomics design and do not permit the observer an opportunity to extend their vision beyond the aircraft periphery without assuming some uncomfortable posture not conducive to normal seated activities undertaken by the rest of the flight crew. Where protruding window or door observation systems have been incorporated in the past, basic heat and air conditioning for the observer have been omitted and are usually airframe specific prohibiting rapid transfer between aircraft. Where control of detection, targeting devices or remote/autonomous vehicle control are concerned, the system operator is frequently removed from direct manned observation and located in a part of the aircraft which prohibits simultaneous visual observation and system manipulation.
Also, in existing search and rescue, surveillance, or toxic spill response based observation systems, a standardized type "A", "B", or "C" size marine sensor deployment system typical of those manufactured by Sparton Electronics, of Michigan, USA, which can eject smoke markers, illumination flares, or other commonly used Sonotube deployment products are neither inter-platform portable, nor are they based on the Geographic Positioning System (GPS). Further, type "A", "B", or "C" Sonotube telemetry systems are not correlated directly to a Geographic Information System (GIS), similar to the "CANSARP" or CASP software programs used by the Canadian Department of Defense (DOD) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for search and rescue drift model trajectory mapping, or OILMAP Produced by Applied Science Associates of the USA. Neither do existing Sonotube launch systems incorporate a push button GPS and GIS linked launch mechanism which is activated from the observer's chair. Where a Sonotube type launch system does exist on "P-3 Orion" type marine patrol aircraft manufactured by Lockheed-Martin Aeronautical Systems, or other Sonotube launch equipped aircraft from other manufacturers, the systems are not inter-aircraft portable, and generally incorporate highly proprietary, mission-specific electronics which do not lend themselves to rapidly changing, air deployed sensor telemetry based analysis capabilities.
Current communication systems are generally frequency specific and hinder applications where a need exists to communicate with land, sea or air based platforms over a wide spectrum of frequencies. In one particular instance over the gulf of Alaska, a downed U.S. Navy P-3 Orion crew were seriously compromised when the rescue aircraft could not establish communications with a Russian trawler only ten miles away. Although specialized multi-frequency communications and intelligence platforms exist like the U.S Air Force's Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) aircraft, or other similar function variants like the C-130 AWACS produced by Lockheed-Martin Aeronautical Systems of Marietta, Ga., USA, they are extremely expensive to acquire and operate, are military mission specific, and are not inter-aircraft portable.
Further, a telemetry and communications problem exists at high rates of aircraft roll, especially at high geographic latitudes, where satellite based telemetry, communications, and data transmission can be interrupted. This problem is typically compensated for by utilizing a pair of flat patch array antennas mounted on opposing sides of the airframe which create a hysteresis region of antenna coverage above the aircraft, but this mandates the dedicated mounting of a pair of antennas on either side of the aircraft's upper fuselage. Also, the antennas do not typically have the provision to integrate other types of communication antenna media into a common undedicated airframe. Further, existing antenna systems do not possess an integrated and portable suite of positioning capabilities comprised of GPS, Pitot tubes, or altimeters for specific geographic aircraft position referenced data essential for determining and recording where deployed sensor or response hardware needs to, or has been deployed. The need for an integrated non dedicated aircraft based multi-frequency communications antenna array with satellite based antenna hysteresis coverage and self locating GPS capability, currently has not been met by the international aviation industry.
An important element of an aircraft based sensing, detection, targeting and response apparatus is a Command, Communications, Control, Computer, and Intelligence (C4I) capability which includes the manipulation of copious amounts of sensor based data to initiate a given response conducive to the mission requirements demanded of the aircraft platform. The Lockheed-Martin C-130 aircraft has been used extensively to transport portable ground based C4I systems or to utilize dedicated airframe based C4I systems but have thus far excluded rapidly loaded aircraft based C4I portability which can engender a non-dedicated Lockheed-Martin C-130, Aerospatiale Transall C-160, Casa 212, Dehavilland Buffalo, or similar fixed or rotary wing, rear door palletized loading type airframe with advanced C4I capabilities in conjunction with non dedicated manned observation, telemetry, communications, data transmission and on board sensing and analysis capabilities.
Generally, a multiplicity of marine, and terrestrial based, components are needed to address a variety of different types of responses which can occur on any given mission. Existing military response methodology can and does include the use of several different fixed and rotary wing aircraft platforms with dedicated systems to address specific mission requirements which can include missile countermeasures, air to ground launched missiles, cannons, high speed Gatling guns, or other air to ground directional type weaponry typical of those weapon systems incorporated in the AC-130U Spectre Aerial Gunship produced by Lockheed-Martin Aeronautical Systems, and Rockwell International Corp.--North American Aircraft Modification Division of Anaheim, Calif., USA. However, current methodology fails to incorporate a single non-dedicated airframe response mix which can accommodate deployment of autonomous, or remote control terrestrial or marine vehicles and systems for the purposes or sensing/detection, toxic spill containment/remediation, personnel rescue, fire fighting, ship towing, surface based refueling/recharging and support.
There is a continuing unaddressed need for an aircraft based sensing, detection, targeting and response apparatus that is not airframe-specific, is modular in its design and components, thereby easily palletized for relatively quick and simple installation and removal from aircraft. The system should include a manned observation platform which protrudes into the airstream beyond the airframe periphery to enhance human observation ergonomics which can be rapidly mounted within minutes on any number of similar airframes. The communications systems should ideally be highly portable and capable of multi-frequency, ship, shore, man portable, submarine, aircraft, or satellite based civilian or military communications, telemetry, and data transmission capability. The system should have the capability of deploying a variety of rapidly loaded and deployed response capabilities which can be ejected from the aircraft immediately after receiving and analyzing sensor, or communications based locational data.